Refrigeration apparatus



Dec. 23, 1941. o. H. YOXSIMER REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l ll'llllllllllllll FIG- 5.

INVENTOR Ozmuo H. YOXfi/MEE ATTORN Dec. 23, 1941. o. H. YOXSIMER REFRIGERATION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1938 lNVENT-OR Gem/-10 H. Yoxs/ME/a BYW ATTORN WITNESSES:

Patcntcd Dec. 1941 2,267,294 REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Orland H. Yoxsimer, Springfield, Mass., assignmto Westinghouse Electric. &' Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 9, 1938, Serial No. 244,765

1 Claim.

My invention relates to refrigerator cabinet construction and particularly to the construction and assembly of the breaker strips for closingthe space between the inner and outer shells of a refrigerator cabinet.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved breaker strip assembly wherein the use of screws, nails and like for fastening the breaker strip to the cabinet are dispensed with.

It is another object of my invention to provide a breaker strip assembly which effectively prevents the entrance of moisture and air into the heat insulation of the refrigerator cabinet.

It is still another object of my invention to provide an improved breaker strip construction from the standpoint of appearance and to insure that the breaker strip will be rigidly retained in position in the normal use of the refrigerator.

It is a further object of my invention to provide improved breaker strips which are easily and quickly assembled to refrigerator cabinets.

It is also an object of my invention to provide readily detachable breaker strip assemblies for refrigerator cabinets of the type wherein the breaker strip lies substantially in the plane of the door opening.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claim taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet showing my improved breaker strip construction;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 1 with the cabinet door in closed position;

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of a metal spring used preferably in the breaker strip construction;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line VV of Fig. 1, with the cabinet door in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a combined spring strip and rubber sealing member;

Fig. 7 is a. partial sectional view of a refrigerator cabinet and illustrates a second embodiment ofmy invention; and,

Fig.8 is a detail view of a rubber member used in the construction shown in Fig. '7.

Referring specifically to the drawings for a. de-

posed in the food compartment l2 for refrigerating the same.

The refrigerator cabinet II is formed of an outer shell l6 and an inner shell or-food liner I! with heat insulation 20 disposed between the inner and outer walls. The food liner I1 is sup-' ported in the outer shell It in any suitable manner, for example, as shown in my copending application, Serial No. 370,950, filed December 20,

1940, for Refrigeration apparatus.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the outer shell I6 is bent at right angles peripherally of the door opening l3 to form a flange l8 in the plane of the front of the cabinet I]. The outer shell I 6 is then bent in a U-shape as shown at l9 to form a pocket, 2| which extends completely around the door opening. The inner shell or food liner l1 islikewise bent at right angles peripherally of the door opening l3 to form a flange 22 in the plane of the front of the cabinet and extending forward the flange |8 on the outer shell. A breaker strip 23 connects the inner and outer shells l3 and I1 and is preferably formed of a material impregnated with a resinous condensate product, so that the breaker strip is nonmetallic and non-hygroscopic. Preferably, a flat strip 23 is provided at the top, bottom and each side of the door opening I 3 and comer clips 24 cover the meeting edges of the four breaker strips.

A plurality of generally T-shaped metal springs 28, bent to the shape shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are disposed in the pocket 2| of the outer shell l6 around the top and sides of the door opening, as shown in Fig. 3. A bent portion 23 of the T- shaped spring 28 forces the breaker strip 23 transversely of its cross-section against the irmer face of the pocket 2|, thus-sealing the heat ins'ulation 20 and holding the outer marginal edge 25 of the breaker strip inposition. A rounded top portion 3| of the T-shaped spring forces the breaker strip 23 longitudinally of its cross secbodying a food compartment l2 having anopening |3therein and a door II for closing the opening. An evaporator or cooling element I5 is distion and retains the edge 21 and the flange 22 of inner shell |1 into engagement with the metal strip 28. It is thus apparent that the breaker strip is held tightly in position and is disposed in the plane of the front surfaces of the cabinet Asshown in Fig. 5, a strip of spring material 32, shown in Fig. 6, is disposed in the pocket 2| along the bottom edge 33 of the door opening. A strip of sponge rubber 34 is cemented or otherwise fastened to the spring strip 32. A raised portion 35 on the spring strip forces the breaker strip transversely of its cross section againstthe inner face of the pocket 2|, and the sponge rub-- ber strip 34 forces the breaker strip 23 longitudinally of its cross section into engagement with the metal strip 28. The rubber strip 34 in addition inner edge of the breaker strip 23 and the springs 23 are disposed in the pocket 2| The outer marginal edge 25 of the breaker strip is then inserted in the pocket 2| and the springs 28 are compressed by forcing the breaker strip into the' pocket until the metal strip 26 may be snapped in place on the flange 22. The breaker strip 23 at the bottom of the cabinet is assembled by placing the strip of metal 26 on the inner edge 21 of the breaker strip 2|, disposing the spring strip 32 with the rubber strip 34 in the pocket 2| and forcing the outer edge 25 of the breaker strip into the pocket 2| until the metal strip 26 may be snapped overthe flange 22. The corner clips 24 finish the assembly.

A second embodiment of my invention is ilheat insulation 23 from the ingress of moisture and air.

The breaker strip 23 is preferably assembled to the cabinet II in the same manner as set forth with respect to the first embodiment.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have, provided breaker strip constructions in which the use of nails and screws is dispensed with and which lie parallel to the front of the cabinet. Furthermore, the construction is readily assembled, neat in appearance, and provides an efficient heat break and seal for the re frigerator cabinet.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

WhatIclaim is:

In a refrigerator cabinet construction, the combination of inner and outer shells having heat insulation therebetween and being provided with a substantially rectangular door opening,

said shells having edge portions bent inwardly lustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein like parts are 'given the same numerals as in Figs. 1 and 2. In

this embodiment, a rubber member 36 takes the place of the springs 28 and spring strip 32 and rubber strip 34 described in the first embodiment. The rubber member 36, shown in Fig. 8, has a body portion 31 and upper and lower'oppositely extending lips or flanges 33 and 33, respectively. The member 36 is disposed in the pocket 2| and the upper flange 33 overlies the upper leg of the U-shaped portion I9 of the outer shell IS. The lower lip 39 is compressed by the breaker strip 23 and, therefore, forces the breaker strip longitudinally of its cross-section and retains the edge 21 and the flange 22 of the inner shell intoengagement with the metal strip 26. The body portion 31 is of sufiicient thickness to force the breaker strip 23 transversely of its cross section into engagement with the inner face of the pocket 2|. The rubber member 38, therefore, performs the dual function of retaining the breaker strip 23 in position and of sealing the toward each other and spaced apart peripherally of the door opening, a member spaced from one of said edge portions and parallel therewith forming a rigid pocket opening outwardly toward the edge portion of the other shell, a breaker strip for closing the space between the shells, said breaker strip having an edge thereof extending into said rigid pocket, and means for securing the other edge of the breaker strip to the opposite edge portion'of the other shell and independently removable resilient means disposed in said pocket in contact with the end and side of the breaker stripfor resiliently urging said breaker strip lengthwise toward said securing means and crosswise against the inner face of the edge portion forming said pocket, said independent resilient means forming a continuous seal between said breaker strip and one of the faces of the edge portion of the shell which forms said Docket at one side of the door opening.

ORLAND H. YOXSHWER. 

